Asatru Folk Assembly - Oddrúnargrátr, a reading

00:00:00.000 The Lament of Odrun

00:00:29.980 Vitha III in the Codex Regius. It is not quoted or mentioned elsewhere, except that the composer

00:00:37.240 of the short Sigurthle seems to have been familiar with it. The Varsunga saga says nothing of the

00:00:45.500 story on which it is based, and mentions Odrun only once, in the course of its paraphrase of

00:00:53.040 Brunhild's prophecy from the short Sigurthle. That the poem comes from the 11th century is

00:01:00.020 generally agreed. Prior to the year of 1000, there is no trace of the figure of Odrun,

00:01:07.360 Atli's sister. And yet, the Odrunagrater is almost certainly older than the short Sigurthle,

00:01:15.080 so that the last half of the 11th century seems to be a fairly safe guess.

00:01:20.780 Where or how the figure of Oldrune entered the Sigurds-Atli cycle is uncertain.

00:01:30.000 She does not appear in any of the extant German versions,

00:01:33.940 and it is generally assumed that she was a creation of the North,

00:01:39.360 though the poet refers to old tales concerning her.

00:01:43.640 She does not directly affect the course of the story at all,

00:01:47.480 though the poet has used effectively the episode of Gunnar's death

00:01:52.380 with the implication that Otley's vengeance on Gunnar and Hogni

00:01:57.360 was due, at least in part, to his discovery of Gunnar's love affair with Odrun.

00:02:05.520 The material which forms the background of Odrun's story

00:02:08.920 belongs wholly to the German part of the legend,

00:02:12.780 see introductory note to Kropispa,

00:02:14.840 and is paralleled with considerable closeness in the Niebuhrlingelied.

00:02:20.920 Only Oldroon herself and the subsidiary figures of Borgny and Virlemund are northern additions.

00:02:29.740 The geography, on the other hand, is so utterly chaotic

00:02:34.180 as to indicate that the original localization of the Attlee story had lost all trace of significance

00:02:41.400 by the time this poem was composed.

00:02:44.840 In the manuscript, the poem, or rather the brief introductory prose note, bears the heading of Borgni and Odrun, and nearly all editions following late paper manuscripts have given the poem the title it bears here.

00:03:02.540 Outside of a few apparently defective stanzas and some confusing trampositions, the poem has clearly been preserved in good condition, and the beginning and end are definitely marked.

00:03:21.020 O Drunergrater

00:03:22.960 Hythrek was the name of a king whose daughter was called Borgni.

00:03:30.960 Vilmund was the name of the man who was her lover.

00:03:35.100 She could not give birth to a child until Odrun, Otli's sister, had come to her.

00:03:41.900 Odrun had been beloved of Gunnar, son of Gyoki.

00:03:46.480 About this story is the following poem.

00:03:49.200 I have heard it told in olden tales how a maiden came to Mourningland.

00:03:58.640 No one of all on earth above to Hythrek's daughter help could give.

00:04:05.220 This, O Drunlorn, the sister of Otli, that sore the maiden's sickness was, that bit better 0.51

00:04:12.800 forth from his stall she brought, and the saddle laid on the steed so block.

00:04:19.180 She let the horse go o'er the level ground, till she reached the hall that loftily rose.

00:04:27.760 And in she went from the end of the hall, from the weary steed the saddle she took, hear

00:04:34.220 now the speech that first she spake.

00:04:39.140 What news on earth?

00:04:42.340 Or what has happened in Hunlan now?

00:04:46.840 A serving maid spake, Here Borgny lies in bitter pain,

00:04:53.380 Thy friend and Odrun thy help would find.

00:04:59.380 Odrun spake, Who worked this woe for the woman thus,

00:05:03.960 Or why so sudden is Borgny sick? 0.78

00:05:07.900 A serving maid spake, Virmund is he the hero's friend,

00:05:13.740 Wrapped the woman in bedclothes warm For five winters, yet her father knew not. 0.89

00:05:23.120 Then no more they spake, methinks She went at the knees of the woman to sit,

00:05:29.200 With magic Odrun and mightily Odrun Chanted for Borgni potent charms. 0.82

00:05:37.260 At last were born a boy and girl, Son and daughter of Hogni's slayer,

00:05:43.660 In speech the woman so weak began, Nor said she ought ere this she spake.

00:05:52.040 So may the holy ones thee help, Frig and Freyja,

00:05:59.600 In favoring gods, as thou hast saved me from sorrow now.

00:06:06.980 Odrun spake, I come not hither to help thee thus,

00:06:13.080 Because thou ever my aid didst earn.

00:06:16.560 I fulfilled the oath that of old I swore,

00:06:19.360 An aid to all I should ever bring, When they shared the wealth the warriors had.

00:06:27.540 Borgni spake, Wild art thou, Odrun, and witless now,

00:06:34.040 But so in hatred to me thou speakest, I followed thee where thou didst fare, as we had been

00:06:42.080 born of brothers twain.

00:06:45.360 Odrun spake, I remembered the evil one eve thou speakest, when a draught I gave to Gunnar

00:06:54.280 then.

00:06:55.280 Thou didst say that never such a deed by maid was done, save by me alone. 0.94

00:07:03.500 Then the sorrowing woman set her down To tell the grief of her troubles great.

00:07:11.000 Happy I grew in the hero's hall, As the warriors wished and they loved me well.

00:07:17.760 Glad I was of my father's gifts, For winter's five while my father lived.

00:07:24.800 These were the words the wary king, Ere he died, spake last of all.

00:07:31.580 He bade me with red gold dowered to be, And the grim-heeled sun in the south bewetted.

00:07:39.280 But Brynhild the helm he bade to wear, And wish made bright, he said, she should be.

00:07:46.980 For a nobler maid would never be born On earth, he said, if death should spare her. 0.83

00:07:54.740 At her weaving Brynhild set in her bower, Lons and folk alike she had. 0.93

00:08:01.680 The earth and heaven high resounded, When Fafnir's slayer the city saw. 0.86

00:08:08.880 Then battle we fought with the foreign swords, And a city was broken that Brynhild had.

00:08:16.640 Not long thereafter, but all too soon, Their evil wiles full well she knew.

00:08:24.500 Woeful for this her vengeance was, As so we learned to our sorrow all,

00:08:31.400 In every lawn shall all men hear, How herself at Sigurd's side she slew. 0.64

00:08:39.120 Love to Gunnar then I gave, To the breaker of rings as Brynhild might,

00:08:46.080 To Atli rings so red they offered, And mighty gifts to my brother would give. 0.92

00:08:54.020 Fifteen dwellings fain would he give For me and the burden that Grani bore,

00:09:02.200 But oddly said he would never receive Marriage gold from Gilkey's son.

00:09:10.140 Yet could we not our love overcome?

00:09:14.020 And my head I laid on the hero's shoulder, Many there were of kinsmen mine,

00:09:21.780 Who said that together, lest they had seen.

00:09:27.220 Oughty said that never I would evil plan or ill deed do,

00:09:32.820 But none may this of another think, Or surely speak when love is shared.

00:09:40.180 Soon as men did Oughty send, In the murky wood on me to spy,

00:09:46.620 Hither they come, where they should not come, Where beneath one clover close we lay.

00:09:55.440 To the warrior's ruddy rings we offered, That not to Adli ere they should say,

00:10:02.160 But swiftly home they hastened thence, And eager all to Adli told.

00:10:07.940 Clothes from Guthrin kept they hid, what first of all she ought to have known.

00:10:18.220 Great was the clatter of gilded hoofs on Gukki's sons through the gateway road. 0.88

00:10:24.740 The hero, heart they hewed from Hogni then, and the other they cast in the serpent's cave. 0.94

00:10:34.560 The hero wise on his harp then smote.

00:10:38.700 For help from me in his heart yet hoped, The high-born king might come to him.

00:10:45.320 Alone was I gone to getterman then, The draught mix and ready to make.

00:10:51.780 Sudden I heard from Hressi clear, How in sorrow the strings of the harp resounded.

00:10:59.220 I bade the serving-maids ready to be, for I longed the hero's life to save.

00:11:05.900 Across the sound the boats we sailed, till we saw the whole of Otley's home.

00:11:13.480 And crawling the evil woman came, Otley's mother, where she ever wrought.

00:11:20.200 And hard she bit to Gunnar's heart, so I could not help the hero brave.

00:11:27.220 Oft have I wondered how after this, Serpent's bed goddess, I still might live.

00:11:35.140 For while I loved the warrior brave, The giver of swords is my very self.

00:11:42.100 Thou didst learn, see and listen, The while I said, the mighty grief,

00:11:48.620 That was mine and theirs.

00:11:51.260 Each man lives as his longing wills.

00:11:54.060 Aldrin's lament is ended now.

Asatru Folk Assembly - February 02, 2024

Oddrúnargrátr, a reading

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